US strikes railway bridge linking Iran to China and Russia

The United States has struck a strategic railway bridge in northern Iran that connects the country to China and Russia, marking the second consecutive day of renewed American attacks on Iran. Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported on Thursday that the cruise missile strike hit the Ogtay Khan railway bridge in Golestan Province, northeastern Iran, on Thursday morning local time. Fars described the bridge as a strategic point on a railway corridor linking China, Turkmenistan, and Iran. The reported attack came after Iran suspended passenger train services between Tehran and the northeastern city of Mashhad following what local residents described as a joint US-Israeli strike on one of the rail lines. The National Railway Company of Iran stated that repair teams had been deployed to the site, while affected passengers would be transported to Mashhad via road. Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said American forces had launched additional strikes against Iran to further degrade Tehran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran and the United States had reached a framework agreement mediated by Pakistan on 17 June to end the military conflict between the two countries and pave the way for a more permanent peace deal. However, on Wednesday, US President Donald Trump declared that the deal was ‘over’, effectively triggering a new round of military confrontation.